Bushwalk Australia

Planning to do the Eastern Arthurs traverse this summer and want to load the track into my GPS. Does anyone have a kml, gpx, etc file for the track to/from Farmhouse Creek that they'd be prepared to send me?

I've tracked down the track files for what seems like every walk in the area except for the Eastern Arthurs.

Cheers

It's one of the best tracks (although muddy) your likely to walk in the SW. Is there any reason you want it??

You cant get lost.

Same reason you'd take a map on the Overland Track
It's not that I think we're likely to lose the track (although stranger things have happened) but planning-wise, it does make it easier to know where it is. Doing the full Arthurs (Western and Eastern) traverse, so I'd like to be as prepared as possible.

nickward wrote:Same reason you'd take a map on the Overland Track

You would?

You could just take a map.

Yup. Take the 1:25k maps, you'll be fine.
Have fun

If I had the spare space and weight for the 18 different 1:25k maps required to cover the whole walk, that's what I would be taking. As I won't, I'm trying to carry as many of them as possible inside the GPS that is required anyway. That's why I asked whether anyone has the GPS co-ordinates rather than asking if anyone has a map.

nickward wrote:Same reason you'd take a map on the Overland Track
It's not that I think we're likely to lose the track (although stranger things have happened) but planning-wise, it does make it easier to know where it is. Doing the full Arthurs (Western and Eastern) traverse, so I'd like to be as prepared as possible.

I think that if you feel you need a GPS with a loaded route to follow to do the trip - then that is not being well prepared at all. Much better to be prepared by having adequate skills to be able to do your own navigation once you are there. As trips go - navigations is pretty trivial compared to the other difficulties - the weather, the scrambling with large packs, being stormbound and knowing when to stay and when to go, being able to work out escape routes if you have to flee off the tops etc etc...

The Arthurs is one place that you would not navigate using a GPS track log. Following a track log in thick mist - you are likely to walk off a cliff or have some other mishap. Most of the navigation needed is visual - you need to look for and see the route, then follow it.

Also - if you do take paper maps (which I would recommend, even if you carry a GPS with a loaded topo map) - then you really only need 3 or 4 sheets. You don't need maps for the access tracks and the roads.

Dave

Meeps alert

Belting wind and rain, blizzard or just thick fog.... compass + map = uselesss.

Always have a good plan A and a great plan B.

A couple of 1:100k maps would solve all the weight problems and you will know where you are.

Sorry to bump this, the forum won't allow me to PM the OP.

nickward, did you ever find the GPS details? I'm after the log for Eastern and Western Arthurs.

I have maps too BTW, I just like looking at GPS data as another option.

Now that you have posted, you should be able to use the PM facility.
Cheers!

I agree that the 25000 maps, a compass and the skill to use them is paramount on these tracks, especially when in the clag. One benefit of the GPS though is the altimeter lets you know when you are at the actual summit in the clag rather than a lesser summit with the real one hidden a few metres away.
Take the GPS but also put the 4 25000 maps in your pack, they dont take up that much space.

Don't worry, I'll have plenty of maps. They're the best thing about the whole planning process!

I really just leave the GPS on for logging so I can see exactly where I've gone when I get home.

I love my maps!

So, you go to Listmap, locate farmhouse creek, options view on googleearth, trace the route, convert kml to gpx... maybe a bit shonky but will fill in the gap till you do the walk?

nickward, for areas or routes that I do not have a gpx for (pretty much every thing) I usually pre-load a bunch of waypoints. NOT perfect but a really good guide in the field and will prompt thoughts of "we are going wrong, re-check where we really are".

The easier way for me to generate the waypoints is to use TheList set to the 1:25k layer and blow the area of concern up very large and put the cross hairs on the location I want and read the waypoint coords off the bottom of the screen. The manually punch these into the gps (Basecamp is hopeless for this, it is not designed to have locations typed in and you have to push each time, so I use the some other garmin software which uselessly i cannot remember the name of right now). The Eastern Arthurs track is marked on these maps so you could get a waypoint off the track at whatever intervals your feel is right for each area. The track will NOT be accurate on the 1:25K and so in the field you will find the waypoint maybe up to 100M off the track where you are standing. Not an issue if you keep in mind the waypoint data is dodgy and guide only.

I did this recently for the track up to Moonlight Ridge, about 1/2 the waypoints were off the track and 1/4 were within cooee and 1/4 were as accurate as the GPS, a Fenix.

greyim, just read your post and had a look, the track only shows up here and there on the aerial base layer, ahh abit more poking you can get the track overlaid on the aerial base layer. Nice. I wonder how it compares to the track location on the 1:25K base layer. Must play further.

PS added - And the track layer does match the track marked on the 1:25k base layer and includes a little tent here and there. Nice.